Heater for water-cooled engines



P K. H. BOWEN 1,825,627

HEATER FOR WATER COOLED ENGINES Filed July 2, 1928 //v VEN Ta RATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE T HENRYAND ALLEN, on NEW YORK HEATER FOR WATER-COOLED ENGINES Application filedJuly 2,

This invention relates to a new and improved heater for the coolingfluid of watercooled engines.

' When an automobile has an engine which is cooled during operation bythe circulation of water around the cylinders of the engine and througha radiator it is preferable during the time of year when the temperatureis low to have some means of preventing such Water not only fromfreezing because the freezing of the water is apt to cause damage to theengine, but also from becoming cold because when the engine cylindersare cold it is difiicult to start the engine.

Of course, it is possible to provide heat in a garage or other storageplace for an automobile but to do so is expensive and a source ofdifficulty and annoyance.

The main object of my invention is to pro vide a means whereby the waterin the cooling system of an automobile engine may be kept at asubstantially predetermined warm temperature by means of electricitywhich will not only be effective but will be convenient and inexpensive.

Another object is to provide a heating means of this character which canbe readily connected to a source of current supply and is automaticallycontrolled so that the tem perature of the water will never exceed apredetermined amount.

Other objects and advantages relate to the size, shape and arrangementof parts, all. as will more fully appear from the following description,taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isan elevation, partially in section, of an automobile engine and radiatorwith my device in position.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic drawing of the wiring system used with mydevice.

In the drawings I show an automobile engine 1 and a radiator -2. Theengine 1 has surrounding it a water jacket 3 from the top of which aconduit Serial No. 289,851.

4- runs to and is connected to the upper portion of radiator -2-. Asecond conduit 5 connects'the lower part of the Water jacket -3- to thelower part of the radiator 2. I also show a pump 6 which causes thewater in the system to circulate when the engine is being operated butit will be understood that my device can as well be used with awater-cooling system of the thermo-siphon type with which a pump is notused.

My device consists of an electrical heater 7 preferably of theresistance coil type which is disposed in the conduit 5 and which haselectrical contact posts 8 and 9-. A thermostatic switch 10 ispositioned in the upper conduit 4. The thermostatic switch 10 ispreferably of the type having a contact 11 connected through a contactpost 12 to a wire -13. Another contact post 14 is connected to a wire 15and carries on its underside a thermo-couple 16 which may be composed oftwo metals having different coefiicients of expansion so that under theinfluence of a predetermined temperature the thermo-couple contact 16will change its form and break the circuit. On the end of the contact 16I provide a contact point -17- which is normally in contact with contactpointl1.

TV ire -15 is carried through a conduit 18- and fixed to post -9. Wire13 is carried through conduit l8 and fixed to a contact point in one endof fuse box l9. Another wire -20- runs from post -8- through conduit 18to fuse box -l9. Fuse box -19 carries the usual fuse -21- and hasextended from one end thereof wires -22 and -23 operatively connected toa socket 2twhich is pro vided to receive a plug of usual form, notshown, connected to a source of potential also not shown.

When it is desired to heat the water in the system of the engine a plug,not shown, is inserted in socket 2%. Contacts 11 and l7 being at thattime in electrical contact, the current will pass through wire 13contact points 11 and -IT and wire '15- to post 9 through electricalheater 7 and post -8- and wire -20- back to fuse box -19 and thence tosocket 2elto make the electrical circuit.

\Vhen the water in the system has reached a predetermined temperaturewhich can be controlled by the adjustment of the thermostatic switch 10the thermo-couple l6 will be deformed and this will cause contact pointl7 to move away from contact point 11 and break the electricalconnection between wires 13- and 15- and hence the electrical connectionto the heater 7. IVhen the temperature of the water again falls below apredetermined amount the thermo-couple 16 will resume such a shape as tocause contact point- -17- to touch contact point lland complete theelectrical circuit through heater -7-. This operation will be repeatedso long as my device is connected to a source of potential so that thewater in the system will be continuously held at a substantially giventemperature within comparatively close linr its. Under these conditionsthere can be no possibility of the water in the system freezing and itwill also insure that the cylinders of the automobile and the remainingparts of the apparatus will be in a warm condition so that at all timesit will be easy to start the engine in operation.

The thermostatic switch is enclosed in a case which may be cast integralwith the pipe section to be inserted as a portion of conduit sl but suchcase has no fluid communication with conduit t but is heated byradiation as the heated 'iuid rises in the system and flows throughconduit -d circulation, owing to slippage around the pump blade endsbeing impeded.

It will be understood that the particular type of electrical heater andthe particular type of heat controlled switch is not essential to thespirit of my invention provided only that such heater and such heatcontrolled switch are disposed in the parts of the water system whichwill give the best and most advantageous result and I have found that ithe heater is disposed in the lower part of the system and theheat-controlled s itch is disposed in the upper part of the system thatthe best results will be obtained due to the fact that when the engineis idle and the water pump 6 is inoperative the application of heat tothe water as by electrical heater -7 will cause the same to circulate bya thermo-siphon action because the warmer water will rise and the coolerwater will fall in the system. Such being the case, I have found that itis better to place the heating means in the lower part of the sys temwhere the cooler water is and to place the heat controlled switch in theupper part of the system where the warmer water is.

It will also be understood that my device will function without the useof a fuse box and fuse as -19 and 21 although I prefer to use them as aninsurance of safety during the operation of the device.

It will also be understood that my device can be used with any type ofapparatus which has a water cooling system and that the size, shape andarrangement of the different parts of the device may be varied to adaptthem to dillerent conditions for although I have shown and described aspecific structure and form of part as an exemplification of anembodiment of my invention I do not desire to restrict myself to theexact shape, form or relation of parts as various changes may be madewithin the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, an engine having a water jacket,a radiator, an upper conduit connecting the water jacket to the radiatorand having a heat conducting wall, a casing mounted on said conduit, the

heat conducting wall forming a part of said casing, a lower conduitconnecting the water jacket to the radiator, an electrical heaterdisposed in the lower conduit, a contact socket for connection to asource of potential, an electrical connection between the heater and thecontact socket, and heat controlled means arranged in said casing, andactuated in accordance with the temperature of the fluid in the upperconduit for breaking such electrical connection at a substantiallypredetermined temperature in the upper conduit.

2. In a device of the class described, an engine having a water jacket,a radiator, an upper conduit connecting the water jacket to theradiator, a lower conduit connecting the water jacket to the radiator,the lower conduit having a branch provided with an insulated cover, anelectric heater disposed in the lower conduit and supported by said cov-H, a contact socket for connection to a source of potential, anelectrical connection between the heater and the contact socket, andheat controlled means mounted 011 the upper conduit and actuated inaccordance with the temperature of the fluid in the upper conduit forbreaking such electrical connection at a substantially n'edeterminedtemperature in the upper conduit.

3. In a. device of the class described, an engine having a water jacket,a radiator, upper and lower conduits connecting the water jacket to theradiator, an electrical heater disposed in thelower conduit, a contactsocket for connection to a source of potential, an electrical connectionbetween the heater and the contact socket, a casing mounted on with athermo-couple adapted to cooperate With the contact for making andbreaking said electrical connection.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of June1928.

KENNETH H. BOWEN.

